Dr. Raymond W. Quist died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, at his home in Terre Haute, with his loving wife Ellen by his side.
He was born Nov. 26, 1934, to Elmer and Anna Quist in Minneapolis. He is survived by Ellen, his wife of 63 years; son David, daughter-in-law Britany and their two children, Bethany and Benjamin, of Albany, N.Y.; and daughter Karen and partner Stan Teague of Ramrod Key, Fla. He is also survived by in-laws Tom and Marian Jerdee of Black Mountain, N.C., and Ruth McKee of Hutchinson, Minn.; and six nieces and nephews: Shelley Jilek, Lynn Blakeway, Susan Hansen, Bill Jerdee, Gus Jerdee and Kenneth Quist. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Burton and Lowell.
He attended Gustavus Adolphus College and Hamline University, where he graduated with majors in psychology and speech and theater arts. At Gustavus he was privileged to study voice with Artur Cavara, a Latvian tenor who immigrated to the U.S. after World War II. Because he was so active in theater in college, he included it as one of his majors. After graduating from Hamline, he enlisted in the Army Reserve and completed training in photography at Fort Monmouth, N.J. During the Berlin crisis, his reserve unit was called to active duty and he served at Fort Lee, Va. While on active duty, he was active as stage manager for a musical and sang with the Quartermaster Command Chorus. Upon release from active duty, he taught speech and English at Petersburg High School in Petersburg, Va. He resumed his graduate studies at the University of Minnesota and earned master’s and doctorate degrees in speech pathology and audiology. His training and experience as a photographer, along with university fellowships and his wife’s work as a registered nurse, were significant factors in supporting the family and his academic endeavors, which Dr. Quist truly valued.
He taught communication disorders at California State College in California, Pa.; Madison College in Harrisonburg, Va.; and Indiana State University. He was coordinator of the ISU communication disorders program, department chair of communication disorders, and chair of the combined ISU departments of communication disorders and special education. He retired in 1999. He had been a member of the state Speech and Hearing Associations of Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Indiana; a clinically certified member of the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association; and a licensed speech-language pathologist in Virginia and Indiana. He also was a member of the Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (U.S. and international). He had numerous publications and presentations at U.S. and international conferences. He was a co-editor of a text on augmentative and alternative communication in special education and communication disorders and wrote several chapters in another major textbook on the same subject. He traveled extensively while working with colleagues in the Netherlands and South Africa.
He was appointed to the Indiana Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology by Gov. Otis Bowen. State Superintendent of Education H. Dean Evans appointed him a hearing officer for special education hearing disputes, and he later served on the Indiana Board of Special Education Appeals. Gov. Orr awarded him the Sagamore of the Wabash for distinguished service to the state of Indiana. He also received the Bell Ringer award in education from State Superintendent Suellen Reed.
Over the course of many years, he was an active church member, council member and soloist in churches in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Indiana. He sang in the Banks of the Wabash barbershop chorus and was privileged to join them when invited to perform in England. During his time in Terre Haute, he belonged to a variety of service organizations, such as Exchange Club and Sertoma Club. He enjoyed photography and belonged to the Photographic Society of America.
He had a great love for music and loved to sing. However, he lost hearing in one ear (mumps) when he was 15 years old, and at the age of 35 was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease in the other ear, which eventually left him totally deaf. In 2006 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
He loved his family and enjoyed camping, hiking, boating and fishing with them. They traveled across the U.S. and Canada, both sightseeing and keeping up with many friends they cherished. He felt extremely fortunate to have lived a full and satisfying personal and professional life.
No services are scheduled. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the charity of your choice.
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